good morning, attack on libya. u.s. and allied forces strike libya with cruise missiles and fighter jets and a deficive military show of force against gadhafi now american stealth bombers started the fight. >> we cannot standidally by when there will be no mercy. defiance. the libyan dictator digs in calling twarning it could ignit a crisis war. nine days after the earthquake that devastated japan, two survivors are saved from the rubble. today, sunday, march 20th, 201 from the rubble. today, sunday, march 20th, 201 1.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a sunday. i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolfe. breaking news out of libya. >> this morning a senior pentagon official says that three american b-2 stealth bombers have been used in the operation dropping some 40 bombs on a libyan air field. it is significant for the first time because the raid began american pilots are now taking part in the mission and now more u.s. fighter jets are attacking libyan ground forces, we're told. >> we're still in the first 24 hours after libya refused to comply with the u.n. calls for a cease-fire. the u.s. says 114 tomahawk cruise missiles were fired on libya. at least 20 air defense locations along the coast have been targeted.

libya says 48 people have already been killed. meantime, moammar gadhafi is as defiant as ever. he called the air raids terrorism and on libyan television he said the aggression may trigger what he called a large-scale crusader war. we want to begin with our pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski who is following the deployment of u.s. forces this morning from washington. mik, good morning. >> good morning, lester. after that initial assault by u.s. cruise missiles against moammar gadhafi's air defense systems. the u.s. military threw an awful lot of fire power overnight. in the latest attacks we're told that f-15s and f-16s out of the air base in sicily attacked libyan ground forces for the first time in and around benghazi and when asked how that relates to the no-fly zone, u.s. militaries officials justified that by saying any movement of

libyan troops presents a potential threat to innocent civilians there in libya. in addition, as you've mentioned, those three b-2 stelt bombers flew from missouri to drop 40 bombs on the air strips, the military air strips there in libya and we're now told that even carrier jets also participated in some of those air strikes that occurred overnight. it's clear now that the u.s. military and the coalition forces, who are very small in number at this point, are intent not only on imposing the no-fly zone, but, apparently, intent on destroying or eviscerating moammar gadhafi's entire military. lester in. >> mik, yesterday when this thing began the first thing that we heard is that french air force fighters had begun the attack and it looked almost like the allies would take the lead

of the u.s. and take a supporting role, but you're talking about b-15s and you make it sound like the u.s. is playing a part in this battle? >> despite the white house attempts to make it look like a huge coalition effort, obviously, it required coalition political support, but for now the u.s. military is not only in the lead, but conducting almost all military operations with only minor participation from the french and even british fighters overnight. there is a u.s. commander and even this morning i talked to senior military officials who i asked them how soon will the u.s. turn over the command to the coalition and the indication is, the u.s. military is in no hurry to do that. >> jim miklaszewski in washington, thanks. we want to go inside libya now, jim joins us from tripoli,

what is the scene like? >> the missiles and stealth bombs have hurt the libyan dictator. he made it clear that he's going no where. u.s. cruise missiles fire towards libya's mediterranean coast and operation "odyssey dawn" was under way. the targets moammar gadhafi's air defense, sophisticated missiles and radar systems that could knock out nato planes and enforcing a no-fly zone over libya. according to the pentagon, at least 20 such sites were hit in the attacks, many near the capital of tripoli. where tracer and anti-aircraft fighters defended against the sounds of planes and explosions. by daylight, tripoli was calm but libya tv showed images of some of the 48 dead and at least 150 wounded casualties, it said,

from the airstrikes. there were civilians in the area, civilians were injured, said this wounded man. today u.s. and coalition officials will assess the damage done to gadhafi's air defenses. as french, british, canadian and eventually arab fighter jets put muscle behind the warning to gadhafi that he can no longer use warplanes or tanks to attack his own people. >> this is just the first phase of what will likely be a multi-phase military operation designed to enforce the united nations revolution and the ability to use force against its own people. >> reporter: but so far there's no indication that gadhafi is backing down. overnight, thousands of his supporters packed his palace, becoming human shields to protect him. he broadcast a fiery message to his people and to the west swearing to fight every inch. "we must arm the masses with all types of weapons to defendant the independence and unity and

honor of libya" he warned. gadhafi is digging in and am military analysts say no guarantee that air strikes or a no-fly zone will be enough to dig him out. those analysts say that gadhafi, and they raise the question, will operation "odyssey dawn" become just the next example. lester? >> thanks. now, here's jenna. now to president obama and the decision to use military force against gadhafi. nbc white house correspondent savannah guthrie is traveling with the president in brazil and joins us from rio de janeiro. good morning. >> good morning, jenna. the president gave the order for military action from here in brazil where he's starting a five-day trip to latin america. he made a point to say that military action was a last resort. >> i am deeply aware of the risks of any military action. no matter what limits we place on it.

but we cannot stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people that there will be no mercy. >> well, the president reiterated in that short statement that no u.s. ground troops will go towards this effort. aides here are really emphasizing the limited scope of this mission to protect civilians from gadhafi. but just on its terms, it's a potentially open-ended commitment especially if gadhafi decides to stay on and fight. it's clear that the allies will feel pressure to leave, but so far no sign of that, jenna. >> what makes the u.s. not taking the lead role in this. what exactly is their role in operation "odyssey dawn." >> one of those situations where there seems to be a real distance between what the white house is saying and what aides are telling us and what we see on the ground. the u.s. is taking in the early going. about more than 100 cruise missiles fired from u.s. ships.

the surveillance the u.s. is doing. the way it is trained by white house aides is that the white house has a unique capability that are coming to bear in the early stage of the effort but the white house envisions after a few days after this initial setting of the stage there in libya, the u.s. will step aside and will fall to allies for the everyday enforcement of the no-fly zone. >> savannah guthrie, thank you. once again, here's lester. mike mullein chairman of the joint chiefs of staff says the operation against libya has made significant progress and that gadhafi's forces have been halted in benghazi. with us now retired general barry mccaffrey, good morning, thanks for being with us. >> good morning, lester. >> i know you have been listening to the coverage and mik was describing the cruise missile attacks against targets but also b-2 attacks against airfields and f-15 and f-16 attacks on ground troops. this seems to be going far beyond what we were told, a no-fly zone. is it clear what the military

objectives are here? >> i find it very encouraging to put the power of the usair force against gadhafi's ground air force capability and artillery under the u.n. resolution, they are authorized to protect civilian life. so, they're interpreting this broadly. this will finally make a difference. the air cap was nonsensical. >> the air cap denying libyan airplanes from getting in the air. if that objective is done, what is left for the military? >> well, we'll have to see what gadhafi's next moves are. if he's smart and, he is, he will move his armor inside urban areas and try to protect them from non-precision strikes. obviously, we have shut down most of his air defenses right now. both frunch, uk and usair power can now enter the country with modest risk. there are still 500 some odd ground anti-aircraft canons that can engage us. now the question is, will we

aggressively go after his combat power and nullify it? >> does libya present a u.s. national security threat and should that matter in this case? >> well, it's interesting, lester, there's been no discussion of the 1973 war power resolution act. you know, president obama made some consultation unspecified with congress, but congress hasn't passed the d.o.d. appropriations act nor played any active role. at some point, probably, he'll be forced to send a report to congress asserting, i might add, that the war power act is unconstitutional. but congress is not playing a role in this and it obviously does not, libya does not represent a direct national security threat. >> the president has said two times, at least, that there would be no u.s. ground troops. does it make sense to telegraph that to gadhafi or better to leave all the cards there? >> i think it's always unfortunate when we publicly

articulate at the bedwginning oa military operation what we aren't going to do. i also think it's unfortunate if you ratchet up u.s. military pressure. the idea to me seems to get in, paralyze them with fear on what we're doing and might do and hope you can get a diplomatic resolution. >> general barry mccaffrey, always good to have you on. thanks, sir. once again, here's jenna. david gregory moderator of "meet the press" joins us from washington. good morning. >> good morn. >> president obama said on saturday that the coalition forces were just answering the call of threatened people. is this the threat of a new doctrine from this adm administrati administration? >> a president who wants to mark a real departure from american intervention in the middle east under president bush. here you have a multi-lateral approach. you have a french president, not the american president, announcing the beginning of hostilities. it's a much different approach. this president saying there are

definite limits. days, not weeks. no combat troops under any circumstances. it reflects that different approach, jenna, but also reflects something ee. the end game here in libya is uncertain. the president has said gadhafi must go and, yet, you'll hear admiral mullein this morning the mission be seen as a success. >> what is the next step then? what is the u.s. strategy if we go in? are we just waiting. gadhafi is not known for caving on issues like this. >> you can go back over the last quarter century that he has been in the crosshairs and lived to tell about it. there is a fear in the administration that gadhafi will blink here. he was abiding by the cease-fire, only not doing it in reality on the ground. i think there is an effort here to ultimately put as much pressure on gadhafi as possible and isolate him, perhaps those around him will kill him or

overthrow him but in the meantime the administration wants the rebellion to flourish and perhaps regain some momentum that has been lost in the last couple of weeks when gadhafi ratcheted up his own assault against him. >> david, we have been talking about this all morning and we heard from savannah and we heard from mik, this administration has gone to great lengths to not make this look like this is just coming from us. this is an international effort. is this because we don't want our fingerprints all over this? >> eight years ago we invaded iraq and all the problems that flowed from that. the united states does not want to be seen as unilaterally going into another muslim country. bottom line. in fact, we are not alone here. it is a striking contrast from 2002 to have the leader of the french come out and announce hostilities, to be taking the lead here. nicolas sarkozy is not jacques chirac who was at bitter odds with president bush. this is a different day. the europeans are heavily involved and the irony here.

look, the united states is putting great pressure on our persian gulf allies to say, why are you sending troops into bahrain? and yet at the same time saying, we oppose you on that, but we expect your participation against libya. so, there is a new order in the middle east that the united states is trying to influence, but also seek partnerships with. and, so, it becomes very important. hillary clinton working that out and getting the arab league to support a no-fly zone. this looks more a lot like the first gulf war than the second war in iraq. that is the intention. >> thank you very much. we want to turn things over now to scott williams for the first check of the forecast. >> did you two have the chance to check out the supermoon last night? >> we did. >> about 14% larger and 40 times brighter than a typical full moon. the next time it will happen 2016. in the meantime, as we focus in on your national weather, we are focusing in on a potent storm

system right now in southern california. we have flash flood watches, high-wind warnings, winter storm warnings watching out for upwards of two to four feet of snow in the sierra region. that's a look at the national weather. le >> good morning, everyone. it should turn out to be a nice day. a little cooler but not bad. a mixture of sunshine and clouds. we expect high temperatures between 50 and that's your sunday weather. lester? >> scott, thanks. coming up next on "today," alive. two survivors rescued from the ruins of the devastation in japan. we'll tell you the story after this. ♪ good morning

[ male announcer ] there are sixteen fresh-picked oranges squeezed into each carton of tropicana pure premium and absolutely no space for added sugar, water or preservatives. tropicana -- we put the good in morning. now to the latest developments from japan. in the wake of the disaster and the nuclear crisis, we're learning about an incredible story of survival. robert bazell is live from tokyo. good morning.

>> good morning, jenna. quite a story. police in a town north of here in the earthquake zone saw a 16-year-old boy on the roof of his house waiting very weakly, but waiting for help. they came to him and he led them down into the house where his 80-year-old grandmother was trapped. she was trapped so badly they had to call in heavy equipment to get her out but they got her out and both of them seem to be doing fine today. that is one bit of good news in what was a very bleak picture. meanwhile, progress continues slowly, but surely, on those crippled nuclear reactors. fire trucks were able to get within 60 feet of the reactor 3 and shoot 15 tons of water at it. that should be enough to fill the water tank, which should look like this covering spent fuel rods that have been exposed in emitting radiation. if the water hit its mark and the tank does not have a major

leak. >> translator: we think that we succeeded and it has now stabilized the situation. >> reporter: reactors one and two are now hooked to electricity. engineers will soon try to get the pumps running again to cool those reactors. and reactors five and six, diesel-powered generators have the water circulating, again, and the temperature is dropping. >> there is a slight chance that one of these reactor vessels will have a late failure. not very likely because the fuel is getting cooler all the time and they seem to have a way of getting water into these reactor cores. if they keep on doing that, that should be okay. it's aage f fragile situation a potential for a mistake. >> reporter: damage has already been done. it came from farms in fukushima prefecture. it was found on farms 60 to 70

miles to the south. radiation was up to seven times higher than levels being safe. >> most of the limits are set extremely low to begin with. so, five times higher than the legal limit still would not be enough, i don't think, to cause a discernible health defect. >> reporter: to put it in perspective, the government said drinking a glass of contaminated milk a day for a year would expose a person to as much radiation as one ct scan. to blot the effects of the contaminated food, japanese authorities recommended that people leaving fukushima take potassium iodine tablets. contaminated water in addition to the food, but water is a nonissue, jenna. the levels are still, in all the water in japan, lower than the legal standards in the united states. jenna? >> robert bazell, thank you. we'll be back after this, but, first, these messages. "match my miles" challenge.to td they're so confident their miles are better,

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still to come on "today," the boy who fought back against his bully. plus, the cat with the loudest prrr in the world. you'll have to hear it for yourself. first, these messages. but basically, i'm a runner. last year. (oof). i had a bum knee that needed surgery. but it got complicated, because i had an old injury. so i wanted a doctor who had done this before. and unitedhealthcare's database helped me find a surgeon. you know you can't have great legs, if you don't have good knees. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare.

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>> good morning, everyone. the time is 8:25. here's a look at some of our

top stories this morning. police are looking for the suspects involved in the triple shooting in west balmt that left one man dead. a 21-year-old man was found in the 300 block of mcmecken street just before 2:00 saturday morning suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. he later died. two other men found in the same block also with gunshot wounds 6789 both taken to local hospitals for treatment. no word on their condition. >> this comes on the heels of a police involved shooting. the veteran officer remains in serious but stable condition at shock trauma. it happened in the 2400 block of hartford road. the officer approached an armed man on the bike. the suspect shot the officer in the neck. a second officer shot the suspect. the suspect is being treated. the community is coming together after a rash of arson fires threatened their northeast baltimore neighborhood. brenda and her family were displaced when her home was set

on fire last month. neighbors have set up a fund to help the family. the community association is hoping corporations will step in to help the family. neighbors say they've seen a drop in the number of fires in the area. and a programming note for you. baltimore city council member mary pat clark will be our q&a guest sunday morning. if you have questions send them in. sunday questions at wbaltv.com. also post your questions on our facebook page. we are back in a minute with a

>> welcome back. good morning, everyone. a nice day as we close out the weekend. there could be rain tomorrow but we'll get through the day today just fine. cooler than yesterday but not bad. between 50 and 55. mostly cloudy a chance for a few showers late tonight. when the temperatures drop back to the 30s and low 40's. tomorrow the first full day of spring, a chance of rain showers. clearing tomorrow night in the upper 50s and low 60s. seven-day forecast, winter will come back. rain showers back into the pictures on wednesday. it could end as a brief period of snow i think on thursday morning. with a high temperature of only 45. it looks like we'll stay in the 40's through the beginning of the weekend. nice and mild to start the week. winter comes back.

>> thanks, tony. thanks for joining us. sunday morning, march 20th, 2011. first day of spring. you wouldn't know it. little nip in the air. these folks are out enjoying an early spring morning. we thank them so much for spending sunday morning with us. outside on the plaza, i'm jenna wolfe alongside lester holt. we're talking about the certain youtube video that has become this international, i don't want to say sensation, but everyone is watching it. >> it shows a boy apparently picking on and bullying another child but then the victim fights back and, look, he body slams him to the floor. the fallout over his actions is generating a lot of controversy

and buzz throughout the internet. did he do the right thing? was it justified? >> we'll let you take a look and you can weigh in. >> very disturbing. it is hard to watch. then we'll switch gears. i went one-on-one this past week with kenny rogers. i'm a big fan of him and his music. i'm not the only one. we walked out on the city streets for five seconds and he was swooned by fans. he has dozens of hi, millions of fans and still kind of makes the girls go crazy. >> i never met him, but he seems like a really nice guy. >> he's such a sweet guy and humbled by all thiz success. which is refreshing. do you think that a cat's purr could rival the sound of a lawn mower? it is true. that's what some say about smoky. smoky the cat. her voice is so loud, it may soon put her in the guinness book of world records. we'll meet smoky and her owner in just a moment and try to hear that purr for our selves. >> they say that cat is the same

decibel level as a lawn mower or a 737 landing. that's incredible. first, we want to go inside and get another check of the rest of the headlines with melissa francis at the newsdesk. >> good morning, lester. good morning, jenna. good morning, everyone. we begin in libya where u.s. and coalition forces are attacking mogar gadhafi ground forces and air defenses. 114 missiles were launched as well as b-2 bombers in the early hours of "operation odyssey dawn." stop gadhafi's attack on rebel forces. gadhafi said he would fight until the end. and an earthquake today in the philippines. the 6.4 quake happened early sunday morning. major damage is not expected and at this point no tsunami warnings. an autopsy is scheduled tomorrow to determine why a world famous polar bear died. officials at the berlin zoo said knut followed his normal routine

before his death. he was raised by zookeepers after his mother rejected him at birth. fipally, did you see last night's supersized moon? the supersized moon as it was rising near the lincoln memorial, wow. last night's moon was bigger and brighter because it was closer to earth. the last time this rare event happened was in 1993. that's the news for now. let's check in on the weather and head outside to the plaza with scott williams. scott? well, good sunday morning. mostly cooler here in new york city. a lot of wind, as well. far cry from the upper 70s and low 80s, the area aboved just a couple days ago. let's get a check of the weather and, really, we are focusing in on this strong storm system moving into california and heavy rainfall, flash flooding and also a lot of heavy snow in the sierra region. we're talking two to four feet potentially over the next day or

so. that's a look at the national weather on >> good morning, everyone. it should turn out to be a nice day. a little cooler but not bad. a mixture of sunshine and clouds. we expect high temperatures between 50 and and for your weather 24 hours a day. you can always logon to weather.com. we have am friends visiting us today. where are you from? >> i'm from ellington, connecticut. >> what is your name? >> donna gosk. i want to say hi to my fifth grade class. >> all right. well, hello to them. that's a look at your weather here on this sunday. jenna? >> thanks, scott. now to a story that has

quickly become an internet sensation. a young bullying victim turned the table on his tormentor. the confrontation which was hard to watch was all captured on video. nbc michelle franzen has more. >> reporter: a violent schoolyard attack captured on video at a middle school in sydney, australia. now a video sensation on y youtube. the bigger kid is backed up against the wall as 12-year-old richard gale taunts and then punches him. casey tries to block the attack and then strikes back, picking up the boy and slamming him to the ground and the bully's ankles hitting the ledge. he walks away as the boy who bullied him struggles to get up. the school suspended both boys, but casey has become a hero to many for fighting back from what he described as repeated bully attacks. websites and facebook pages have popped up. along with passionate opinions posted on youtube.

>> casey did the right thing. >> that was so awesome. i was bullied as a kid. >> reporter: here in the u.s., recent high-profile cases have also had a major impact. 15-year-old stevie prince committed suicide last year. her classmates are accused of bullying her day after day and now face charges in the case. anti-bullying expert susan lipkin says the video out of australia shows the other side to the problem of bullying attacks. that many victims don't feel they have a way to speak up before they, too, turn to violence. >> the victim has been victimized over and over and over and at some point he can't take it any more and blows. that's when it's dangerous for the victim and the bully. >> for "today" michelle phrenzen, nbc news, new york. joining us with more dr. charles sophie, good morning. thanks for being with us. >> good morning. >> let me start by asking you

this, it was disturbing for me to watch this video. it's very powerful stuff. as a professional, what was your reaction when you saw this? >> it is very disturbing to watch and i think we have to really look at both of those children are hurting in different ways. both are really in an emotional pain and now one is in physical pain. both of those are victim children. >> as we saw in the piece just before, a lot of people commenting on this video are calling the boy who fought back a hero and the bully got what he deserved. are those sentiments justified in any way? is there some sort of action in praising him? >> people see he fought back and stood up for himself and you do get to a boiling point, however, i don't think violence is necessarily the way to go. >> should kids who defend themselves be punished? i understand both of these boys were suspended? is that the message the authorities want these two boys to take away from this?

>> i think it's important for both boys to realize what was not the best way to handle things for both of them? both from the bullying perspective and we as a community the parent, schools, authorities need to teach these kids better ways to deal with their feelings and also better ways to deal with the things that are creating the bullying in the first place. >> bullying has been in the news a lot in the last year or two years. some have led to tragedies such as suicide and what not. here is a kid that fought back. isn't that better than him intern internalizing all his emotions and perhaps leading to something he could do to himself. >> it was not in the most responsible and safe manner because it's not the way you really want your child to deal with those kind of issues. you want them to deal with them probably a lot sooner because this child has been back under to a corner at this point, but you want him to do it

responsibly and safely. but, yes, he does need to get it out otherwise it does become an internalized issue. >> thank you so much for your time this morning. >> thank you. up next, we're going to switch gears. the world's loudest cat. he joins us. wow. he joins us live. hear it for yourself, after these messages.s a medical condition. i feel like i have to wind myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the lack of energy. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about pristiq®, a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq is thought to work by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain, serotonin and norepinephrine. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens and young adults. pristiq is not approved for children under 18. do not take pristiq with maois. taking pristiq with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. tell your doctor about all your medications, including those for migraine, to avoid a potentially life-threatening condition.

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for fast eye itch relief, add alaway. for fast eye itch relief, ["stir it up" playing] stir up a smile with hershey's syrup. have you ever wondered how loud a cat has to purr in order to be considered the loudest in the world? wonder no more. take a listen to this. smoky the cat is the feline with the big voice that can reach up to 92 decibels.

she's now gained the attention of officials at the guinness book of world records. smoky joins us live this morning along with owner ruth adams. ruth, smoky, good morning. thanks for being with us. >> good morning. >> you are coming to us from england. this 92 decibels and louder than a lawn mower and about the same sound as a 737 landing. what does that mean in practical terms? if you're trying to watch tv or have a phone conversation, what is it like with smoky in the room? >> lots of interference with the phone calls all the time. i have to tell people i can't talk to them and television you have to turn the television up or perhaps just put the cat in another room. >> what is the reaction, what is your reaction and people around you? do they find this cute or annoying? >> they just find it most unusual and most loud. it's a very cooing, very, very

loud. no one ever heard anything like it before. >> i understand you hagot smoke from a shelter. the first time you saw him, was he purring. >> he was happy to get out of there. >> and you knew this was unusually loud, but you realize this might be record-breaking loud for a cat? >> we knew it was very loud, we had no idea just how loud until people actually thought of taking the decibel readings off the cat and we were amazed at the readings the cat had been given and we were encouraged to submit an application to the guinness book of records and we are doing tests to actually get some proper. >> i'm sitting here listening to smokey purring right now as you continue to stroke him. does he do this for a reward?

>> there is a bit of motivation with food. very food food orientated. >> what do the folks at guinness world records say? are they going to do some testing? >> we are having to submit some sound tests with a decibel reader and we're in the process of actually sorting out a claim that they've required. >> all right, thanks for sharing and thanks for bringing smokey on. it was nice to meet both of you. just ahead, music man kenny rogers still going strong and selling records. but, first, these messages. ♪ [ male announcer ] here they come. all the new tech products you need. and they're all looking for the same thing. ♪ the one place that makes technology easy. staples.

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never gets old. an era where it seems few singers make it beyond a decade this texas native is still proving he knows the secret to surviving. ♪ that perfectly rough voice, that signature, kenny rogers still making music, still making friends. ♪ from one lover to another >> tough to find songs that says what every man would like to say and every woman would love to hear. >> reporter: a simple formial f that has netted him years of success. you can rest assured i'm coming back. what does that say about you and your resiliency? >> one of the stupid things you

say because it's clever and then you have to live up to it. >> reporter: sarcasm aside, he most certainly has lived up to it. at 72, rogers is still churning out good music. he holds the rare honor of having a hit song in each of the last six decades. >> one thing for me to love what i'm doing and another thing for people to appreciate it. i've never done this ever in my life for money. >> reporter: i caught up with the grammy award winning singer this week in the big apple. he was in town promoting his new album. >> cracker barrel gave me the opportunity. so, i got a chance to sing with some lyrics that really touched me. >> reporter: with 22 number one hits and 20 platinum albums, rogers had the rare opportunity to work with just about everyone he ever wanted to sing with.

♪ don't fall in love with a dreamer ♪ >> reporter: and he's humbled to have done so. >> when i sang with goddi west and dolly parton all those girls motivated me to sing better than i could. >> reporter: they all say the same about you probably. >> i hope so. ♪ we have tonight, babe >> reporter: one thing people enjoy about your music, you're not just throwing words out there. your songs have stories and you want to hear the end of the story. you want to hear start, midal and end. >> for me, a great story song is a song that tells you where you are on a warm summer's evening, on a train bound for no where. and it takes you on this journey and the great thing about the gambler is that it's not just about, it's actually the guy who wrote it doesn't even gamble.

>> reporter: that song, it transcended time and it transcended generations and people gravitated towards it. besides the fact that it is this great story, is there something about that song and tv hit movie. >> there were five movies. they called me the other day and asked me if i would do a sixth one. >> reporter: really? >> a great concept on how to live your life. know when to walk away and know when to run. >> reporter: he is busier than ever. when he's not making music he is chasing around his 6-year-old twin boys around and focusing on projects. as depicted in that classic episode in "seinfeld." >> we have chicken places on every block. >> he is the gambler. >> reporter: how did it come about? >> he used to open for me. jerry seinfeld opened for me. >> reporter: doing standup? >> yeah. >> reporter: he decided to write you into one of his shows. >> he loved roasters and it was a very clever thing that they did.

>> all kidding aside, rogers just celebrated a big milestone. 50 years in the music industry and with a new album out, this country star still knows his secret to surviving. >> when i walk on stage there is no place i'd rather be. >> wherever he goes, rogers feels right at home with his fans. ♪ you never count your money when you're sitting at the table there will be time enough for counting when the dealing's done ♪ >> the new cd is called "the love of god." thanks to kenny rogers. what a class act. i think you realize when you watch that you say, i know a song or two by kenny rogers. it turns out you know all the songs by kenny rogers, you don't always remember he has so many hits. >> he talks and sings so close together. >> these great stories that you want to wait until the end. >> you're lucky to spend some time with him. >> nice guy. up next, moon struck.

why many gazed upwards last night. right after these messages. what if they were stolen from you? by alzheimer's. this cruel disease is the sixth leading cause of death, and affects more than 5 million americans. the alzheimer's association is taking action, and has been a part of every major advancement. but we won't rest until we have a cure. you have dreams... help the alzheimer's association protect them. act now, go to alz.org. you carry them around everywhere. yes i do, because cravings are everywhere. would you take a craving for me, cartwright? how would i -- exactly. [ male announcer ] nicorette mini goes wherever you go, to help make quitting suck less. for a short time only, get 50% of lenses including bifocals, no-lines and sunglasses made with your prescription. hurry, the sale ends april 3. so see clearly and save today at lenscrafters.

there was something supersized in the sky last night. kind of a special moon. one that had a lot of folks gazing upward. why was it so spell binding? nbc's george lewis explains. >> reporter: remember when we conquered the moon or so we thought? >> that's one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind. >> reporter: now the moon is in the headlines, once again. a so-called supermoon. what is that exactly? >> well, every 18 years the moon gets closest to the earth. >> reporter: when that part of the lunar orbit coincides with a

full moon, the result is a bigger-looking super moon. it has given rise to all sorts of myths and fear that the moon might trigger earthquakes in california and else where. not so say the experts. >> nothing to fear, just a good show by mother nature. >> reporter: the moon has been the stuff of legends forever. in midevil times they thought people would go crazy staring at it. the word lunatic comes latin from moon. this carried over into the movies like the "wolfman" series. in "e.t." that famous bike ride past the moon. breakfast at tiffanies gave us an oscar winning moon song, one of countless such tunes. as the moon looms larger than it has in almost two decades, we continue to be inspired by it. in the words of that old standard, the moon belongs to

everyone. the best things in life are free. for "today," george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. >> the four of us, only scott saw it, right? you saw it? >> i had to see it. the next time it will happen is 2016. >> i'll do that. i'll do the 2016 one. >> i was superasleep. >> spring also begins tonight at 7:21. >> is that tonight? david gregory is standing by to tell us what's coming up on "meet the press." >> good morning, lester. following the breaking news here, war against libya. the latest on the military campaign. with us the president's top military adviser, admiral mike mullein and then reaction from capitol hill. i'll be joined by senators leaven, kerry and sessions. the big question still to come about the president's leadership on this. that is all coming up on "meet the press." that will do it for us on this sunday morning. scott williams, thank you so much. next weekend on "today" we'll sit down with the cast of

"stand by me." spring starts tonight, does it get warmer automatically? >> hopefully. >> one word, hopefully. i'll see you tonight on nbc "nightly news." until then, so long, everybody. "nightly news." until then, so long, everybody. thanks for watching. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

[captioning made possible by constellation energy group] >> up next, city council member mary pat clark will be our guest and planning a family road trip soon if so you'll want to check out the toys we have to keep the kids entertained for hours. >> and it looks like a nice close to the weekend. looks like a little rain and snow in the forecast.